The star Indian men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty progressed to the semifinals of the Malaysia Open 2025 after a tough win on Friday.
The seventh-seeded Indians fought hard for 49 minutes to secure a 26-24, 21-15 victory against the Malaysian pair of Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo in the quarterfinals of the esteemed Super 1000 tournament.
Satwik and Chirag, the second place finishers in the last edition, will compete against South Korea’s Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo in the semifinals.
The first game was intense, as both teams maintained an equal balance in the competition.
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Competing in front of a supportive crown at the impressive Stadium Axiata Arena, the Indians maintained a slim 11-9 advantage at halftime and increased it to 18-16.
However, the Malaysians fought back, scoring three straight points to tie at 19-19 and even took a 20-19 advantage.
Unfazed, Satwik and Chirag exhibited impressive calmness, saving four straight game points before securing the first game 26-24.
“First game was really crucial, we were leading 19-16 then they came back and the crowd supported them,” said Satwik.
In the second match, the Malaysian duo began confidently, maintaining the lead for most of the contest until the break with an 11-8 edge.
Nonetheless, Satwik and Chirag made a remarkable comeback, claiming 13 of the subsequent 17 points to clinch the match and secure their third straight semifinal appearance.
Chirag mentioned that they aimed to go all the way.
